Wills

Wills are an excellent way of binding generations of a family together, and can give a magnificent account of the wealth and possessions passing from generation to generation.

A will might name all an ancestor’s immediate and more distant family, and provide an insight into their valued possessions – land, cattle, houses, beds, Bibles, jewellery, linen or whatever was of value in your ancestors’ world. There might be mention of friends or servants, or charities that were to benefit from the estate. You might learn who the executors were, where the deceased lived and where and with whom they asked to be buried.

In general, the further back you go, the less likely your ancestors were to leave a will.
 

Where to find a post-1858 will

Copies of wills proved in England and Wales after 1858 can be obtained from First Avenue House in London – see www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/1226.htm#addresses for more. Scottish wills proved after 1901 are held at the National Archives of Scotland in Edinburgh, and for Ireland the first port of call is the National Archives of Ireland in Dublin. Even if an ancestor died without leaving a will, you may still find an administration, which will give an indication of the size of the estate. To get an idea of what your ancestor’s legacy meant in real terms, have a look at the National Archives’ currency converter.
 

Where to find a pre-1858 will

Wills proved before 1858 are not held centrally, but depend upon the court in which they were proved. This was a complicated system, and many archives hold published guides to set you off on the right trail. There are several online collections, including those proved of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury and several collections at www.originsnetwork.com.

Death duty registers can also be consulted from 1796 (some can be viewed online at the National Archives’ DocumentsOnline), and often provide further information about who was related to whom. They also provide information about the value of the estate for the pre-1858 wills, which do not routinely contain this information.
 

 Don’t be put off by the handwriting that you will find in these old wills; it's amazing how quickly you get used to it, and a guide to reading old handwriting is available at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/palaeography. If your ancestor’s will was written in Latin, it is probably worthwhile getting it translated by a professional.